Each week, I chat with Design Star producer Loren Ruch about behind-the-scenes moments you didn’t see on the show. This week, I ask: why yurts? Plus, he offers some inside intel on the upcoming season of Design Star All Stars.

The Carpenters, Designers and Host With Producer Loren Ruch

It’s always fun to watch the non-traditional home challenge. How did you decide to do yurts this year?
We wanted to take small spaces to the next generation, so we decided yurts were the way to go! They happen to be very trendy right now, and Vern has stayed in something like 20 of them on his travels, so we knew he would be very excited to judge this challenge. I was really impressed with how they turned out, too. And for you diehard fans, I have a secret for you…in our Design Star All Stars series (which premieres Tuesday, July 31 at 9/8c), we’ll have another even more unusual small space episode later in the season!

It looked like the designers had fun with their celebrity carpenters! What was the best moment during the building of the yurts?
Not only did they have fun with their celebrity carpenters, they also found a new level of respect for what these guys go through on their own shows. Each group had a totally unique dynamic. Hilari and Jeff basically hit it off right from the beginning and were fast friends. Britany and Joel were a little bit like a brother and sister. Their dynamic was funny and extremely fun to watch because they were joking and kind of making fun of each other. Danielle and Chip had a nice rapport too. Chip told Danielle, “Hopefully I’ll be your good luck charm. It worked for Meg last season!” You’ll have to wait until next week and see if he’s one for two or two for two.

Meg on why yurts are way more difficult to design than tiny houses, and why she loved Hilari’s space and camera challenge. Plus: A carpenter not quite capturing your vision? Meg’s been there (on Design Star and her own show.)

Get it…yurt last chance? Har, har. I couldn’t help but carry on all the yurt-related puns used in tonight’s show. Tonight, the final three designers took on a brand new challenge for Design Star: turn a yurt into a dream bedroom suite. (Find out more about yurts here.)

Entertainment Tonight host Mark Steines joined the panel to see which one of the designers shares his hosting skills. Like always, some of the hosting moments (and yurt suites) were dreamier than others — here’s what went down on this week’s episode.

On tonight’s episode of Design Star (tune in at 9/8c), the final three take on a brand new nontraditional home challenge: turn a yurt into a dream bedroom suite. But first: what the heck is a yurt? It’s a portable structure with round walls built on a wood lattice frame.

It’s down to the final three…only two episodes left until we find out who the next Design Star will be. On each season of the show, the designers are challenged to decorate a non-traditional structure. This year, it’s…yurts! That’s right — each contestant will take on a modern adaptation of the ancient round shelters used for centuries by Central Asian nomads. Who will succeed and who will fail miserably? Watch the preview for a sneak peek.

Each week, we ask Design Star producer Loren Ruch your most-asked questions from the show. This time, he tells us how long it takes to shoot the full season of Design Star. Plus, what were the best moments backstage at The Nate Berkus Show?

David dishes on the final four’s budget design challenge. Who “ignored him completely” and who was practically “peeing in his pants” backstage at The Nate Berkus Show? Plus, he breaks down the best and worst designs.

We’re down to the final four and after a double elimination last week, the designers really needed to give it everything they had. And this week had it all — the extremely tough challenge of designing a “Look for Less” apartment, plus a Camera Challenge that just so happened to be in front of a live television audience. Talk about pressure! The adorable Nate Berkus was on hand to offer his expert design knowledge, as well as his beautiful television studio.

The designers had a $2,500 budget to give a simply furnished apartment a high-end makeover. In addition to that, they would present a “Look for Less” tip to the live studio audience on none other than The Nate Berkus Show. Here’s how it went down.